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June 28th 1776 General

0:20

George Washington stood in

0:22

the abandoned mansion

0:24

that served as

0:26

his headquarters. surrounded

0:29

by his lieutenants. Outside, New

0:31

York City was in a state of

0:33

chaos. In the sweltering summer heat,

0:35

tensions were reaching a boiling point.

0:38

Treason was in the air.

0:40

Washington's lieutenants watched closely

0:42

as he lingered at the front

0:44

door, his hand hovering over the

0:46

knob. He wanted to stay in

0:48

the calm of the mansion a

0:50

few minutes longer because his next

0:52

appointment of the day was a

0:54

grim one. He was heading to

0:57

an execution. Washington adjusted the

0:59

blue sash that identified him as

1:01

the commander-in-chief of the continental army

1:04

and pushed the door open. Outside,

1:06

he and his officers saddled their

1:08

horses. As they rode through the

1:11

streets of the city, the entire

1:13

continental army fell in line behind

1:15

them. Washington led his troops through

1:18

the dense woods of northern Manhattan.

1:20

He was flanked by the members

1:22

of his lifeguards, a special unit

1:24

of elite soldiers meant to protect

1:27

him from harm. Usually, Washington

1:29

felt confident with his

1:31

guards, but today he

1:33

felt uneasy, exposed, unsafe.

1:35

That was because three

1:37

days ago, Washington had

1:39

discovered a British plot

1:41

to kidnap and possibly

1:43

kill him. It had been

1:45

constructed based on information leaked

1:48

by some of his lifeguards.

1:50

He eyed his protectors, knowing any

1:52

one of them might have

1:54

betrayed him. Finally, the

1:56

10,000 soldiers in the Continental

1:58

Army arrived at clearing in

2:00

the forest a quarter mile outside

2:03

the city. Everyone looked at the

2:05

hastily assembled structure in the middle

2:08

of the field, the gallows. Over

2:10

the next hour, thousands of

2:12

civilians, eager to watch justice

2:14

served, join the crowd. No

2:16

one wanted to miss out

2:18

on this historic moment. Between

2:20

the continental soldiers and ordinary

2:22

citizens, it seemed like the

2:24

entire population of New York

2:26

had gathered together in the

2:28

field. Washington took in the

2:31

nervous excited energy. He hoped

2:33

the events of the day

2:35

would make clear if anyone

2:37

betrayed America they wouldn't live

2:39

to tell the tale. On

2:41

Washington's command, 80 soldiers armed

2:43

with bayonets escorted a single

2:45

prisoner to the gallows. The

2:47

man's name was Thomas Hickey.

2:49

He pushed his dark hair

2:52

out of his eyes as

2:54

he climbed the stairs on

2:56

long gangly legs. His face

2:58

didn't betray any emotion, even

3:00

though he was about to

3:02

become the first person executed

3:04

for treason against the United

3:06

States of America. Washington watched

3:09

as the hangman placed a

3:11

noose around Hickey's neck. He

3:13

felt a shiver of regret.

3:15

He had liked this man.

3:17

He had trusted this man.

3:19

A continental officer read the

3:21

charges against Hickey. He had

3:23

been stoic up until this

3:25

point, but now he began

3:27

to begin to crack. Pannock

3:29

filled Hickey's eyes and he

3:31

trembled. The crowd booed and

3:33

hissed at him. It was

3:35

time for Thomas Hickey's final

3:37

words. He wiped away his

3:39

tears and cursed his co-conspirators.

3:41

Then, he closed his eyes

3:44

and mouthed a silent prayer.

3:46

As Hickey's body dropped, many

3:48

members of the crowd looked

3:50

away. But Washington wasn't one

3:53

of them. His eyes narrowed

3:55

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New episodes Wednesday. New episodes

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Wednesday streaming on Hulu. From

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Ballin Studios and Wondery, I'm

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Lukla Mana, and this is

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redacted, declassified mysteries, where each

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week we shine a on

6:00

the shadowy corners of

6:02

espionage, covert operations, and

6:05

misinformation to reveal the

6:07

dark secrets our governments

6:09

try to hide. This

6:12

week's episode is called

6:14

The Plot Against George

6:17

Washington. Serving in

6:19

the military is similar

6:21

to working in traditional

6:23

civilian occupations in many ways.

6:25

One of which is not

6:28

always liking your boss. Maybe

6:30

the key difference there is that as a

6:32

civilian, you can quit your job and find a

6:34

new one if you really wanted to. You can't

6:37

just quit the military. With George

6:39

Washington's face printed on every dollar

6:41

bill and stamped on quarters, I have

6:43

to admit that I've long held a

6:45

very narrow view of who our first

6:47

president was. In my mind, he's more of

6:49

a historical figure than a person who had

6:52

the same problems at work that we do.

6:54

Never once did I think that as

6:56

a military officer he had soldiers under

6:58

his command that didn't like him. It

7:00

would have been the furthest thing from

7:03

my mind to think that not

7:05

only did they not like him,

7:07

they were deliberately working to undermine

7:09

his fight against the British. Fortunately

7:12

for us, George Washington was clever

7:14

and wore many different hats, serving

7:16

in a variety of roles before

7:19

becoming the first president of the

7:21

United States. He was a militia

7:23

officer, revolutionary delegate, and commander-in-chief of

7:25

the Continental Army. But one of

7:28

his lesser-known roles was as spymaster.

7:30

During the American Revolution,

7:32

the British and the colonies fought

7:34

to convert ordinary citizens to their

7:36

cause. But these were desperate times,

7:38

and loyalty could be sold to the

7:40

highest bidder. Due to the risk of betrayal,

7:43

Washington needed to know which members

7:45

of the Continental Army he could

7:47

trust. He went to great lengths

7:49

to crack British codes, detain

7:52

potential spies, and uncover enemy

7:54

plots within the American ranks.

7:56

Under Washington, the nation's first

7:58

counterintelligence operation was born. It

8:01

was called the Committee on

8:03

conspiracies. In the summer of

8:05

1776, Washington's team discovered a

8:07

British plot that could have

8:09

ended the revolution before it

8:11

really began. It involved recruiting

8:13

continental soldiers to betray the

8:15

cause and assassinate their leader.

8:18

The use of spycraft saved

8:20

Washington's life and secured a

8:22

future for America. But how

8:24

did the British make their

8:26

plan to take down the

8:28

American commander? Why did some

8:30

of Washington's most trusted soldiers

8:32

betray him? And how did

8:35

an ordinary columnist help Washington's

8:37

counter-intelligence team uncover the plot

8:39

before it was too late?

8:41

He looked down on the

8:43

city below. All was still.

8:45

Boston was asleep, and for

8:47

the moment, in the hands

8:49

of the British Army. But

8:52

despite the calm, Washington's heart

8:54

was pounding hard in his

8:56

chest. He was about to

8:58

make his move to free

9:00

the city. The war was

9:02

really only just beginning. The

9:04

Continental Congress was still two

9:06

months away from discussing its

9:08

declaration of independence. At this

9:11

point, they were still focused

9:13

on negotiating with the crown.

9:15

They hoped to find a

9:17

solution that would give the

9:19

colonies more authority while maintaining

9:21

British control. But things had

9:23

not gone according to plan.

9:25

Fighting had broken out. Congress

9:28

created the continental army as

9:30

a show of strength that

9:32

would improve the colony's chances

9:34

of a fair deal. George

9:36

Washington, already a national hero

9:38

from past wars, was unanimously

9:40

chosen as its leader. For

9:42

months he and his fledgling

9:44

army had been camped outside

9:47

Boston engaged in a standoff

9:49

with the British. Neither side

9:51

wanted to move first and

9:53

risk an all-out war. Now,

9:55

after months of waiting, Washington

9:57

was finally launching an attack,

9:59

though it was a risky

10:01

one. That's why he and

10:04

his troops had climbed up

10:06

Dorchester Heights in the dead

10:08

of night, hoping to surprise

10:10

the enemy. Washington signaled to

10:12

his men, as silently as

10:14

they could, they rolled the

10:16

last of their 20 cannons

10:18

into place at the top

10:20

of the hill. Each was

10:23

trained directly on the British

10:25

fleet below. The first rays

10:27

of light came over the

10:29

ocean, illuminating the fog. Washington

10:31

opened his spyglass and scouted

10:33

the harbor. The men on

10:35

the British ships seemed to

10:37

be panicking. They could see

10:40

the guns on the hilltop

10:42

and knew that the Americans

10:44

had them trapped. They couldn't

10:46

attack or flee without being

10:48

blown out of the water.

10:50

But Washington did not fire.

10:52

He waited for four tense

10:54

days before he received a

10:57

message from the British commander

10:59

with the news he'd been

11:01

waiting for. The British were

11:03

retreating from Boston. But the

11:05

commander wanted Washington's word that

11:07

they would not be attacked

11:09

as they departed. Washington couldn't

11:11

help but smile. The continental

11:13

army had just won its

11:16

first fight. against a vastly

11:18

superior army without a single

11:20

casualty. Boston was free. But

11:22

the war was far from

11:24

over. The British weren't going

11:26

to take such a humiliating

11:28

loss without a fight. And

11:30

Washington knew that he also

11:33

needed to protect himself. With

11:35

British loyalists lurking everywhere, he

11:37

needed to stay vigilant and

11:39

surround himself with men he

11:41

could trust. Washington ordered his

11:43

officers to send their best

11:45

soldiers. strong fighters with records

11:47

of military service. He needed

11:49

an elite unit of bodyguards

11:52

who would be able to

11:54

protect him. They would be

11:56

called... the lifeguard. A few

11:58

weeks later, New York City

12:00

Mayor David Matthews boarded a

12:02

rowboat. He slipped the boatsman

12:04

a few shillings and they

12:06

set off into the harbor.

12:09

His destination loomed a few

12:11

hundred yards offshore. A merchant

12:13

ship called the HMS Duchess

12:15

of Gordon. Anchored nearby was

12:17

a massive British warship. silently

12:19

defending the Duchess from any

12:21

unwanted guests. As the boatsman

12:23

rode, Matthews glanced nervously at

12:25

shore. He had permission for

12:28

this excursion to visit the

12:30

tightly guarded Duchess. He told

12:32

the Continental Army it was

12:34

for a diplomatic matter. But

12:36

if they discovered the true

12:38

reason, Matthews might lose his

12:40

office, and maybe his life.

12:42

Matthews hated being on the

12:45

water. He got seasick easily.

12:47

But lately he'd been feeling

12:49

a lot safer in the

12:51

harbor than on dry land.

12:53

Even though he was the

12:55

mayor of a major American

12:57

city, Matthews was openly loyal

12:59

to the British king. And

13:02

after General Washington's army came

13:04

marching into town in April

13:06

1776, he instantly became an

13:08

outcast. When they arrived at

13:10

the Duchess of Gordon, Matthews

13:12

climbed a ladder onto the

13:14

deck. There he was greeted

13:16

by William Tryon. The British

13:18

appointed governor, who represented the

13:21

king in New York. He

13:23

welcomed Matthews with open arms

13:25

and invited him inside. Governor

13:27

Tryon had docked offshore for

13:29

months, unable to step foot

13:31

in New York City because

13:33

the revolutionary colonists despised him

13:35

so much. But Tryon was

13:38

too proud to just go

13:40

home. Instead, he lingered just

13:42

outside the bounds of the

13:44

city in the harbor. From

13:46

his ship, he held secret

13:48

meetings. and developed a vast

13:50

network of loyalist informants. Mayor

13:52

Matthews was one of the

13:54

many spies that kept him

13:57

informed of the Continental Army's

13:59

activities. As Matthews entered Trion's

14:01

office, the governor beamed. He

14:03

unlocked a trunk by his

14:05

desk and revealed a stash

14:07

of rifles and muskets. They

14:09

had been freshly made by

14:11

a loyalist gunsmith and delivered

14:14

just a few days before.

14:16

Guns were a valuable commodity

14:18

and hard to come by.

14:20

Matthews had orchestrated the trade.

14:22

Tryon clapped Matthews on the

14:24

back and congratulated him on

14:26

a job well done. Then

14:28

he headed Matthews a stack

14:30

of money to pay the

14:33

gunsmith. But as Matthews flipped

14:35

through the banknotes, he paused.

14:37

Tryon had given him nearly

14:39

twice the amount they'd agreed

14:41

upon. But Tryon told Matthews

14:43

it wasn't a mistake. He

14:45

explained that the extra money

14:47

was for something else. The

14:50

guns were a nice start,

14:52

but if they really wanted

14:54

to win the war. They

14:56

needed to get strategic. The

14:58

problem was General Washington. He

15:00

had outsmarted the British Army

15:02

in Boston, despite his poorly

15:04

trained and undersupplied troops. The

15:07

man was a serious threat.

15:09

Something had to be done

15:11

about him. He'd already had

15:13

several to calm his nerves.

15:15

In his field of work,

15:17

war was good for business.

15:19

But as a British loyalist

15:21

in George Washington's New York,

15:23

he was working for the

15:26

enemy. If anyone found out

15:28

he was making weapons for

15:30

the crown, he could end

15:32

up in prison. A crowd

15:34

of ragtag continental soldiers were

15:36

singing drunkenly in the corner.

15:38

They had been getting louder

15:40

and more out of control

15:43

all evening. But Forbes gritted

15:45

his teeth and tried to

15:47

ignore them. He looked forward

15:49

to the day when the

15:51

British army would put these

15:53

insolent farmers back in their

15:55

place. The door to the

15:57

tavern swung open and Forbes

15:59

looked up. He saw Mayor

16:02

David Matthews walk in, looking

16:04

anxiously around like he might

16:06

have been followed. Matthews stood

16:08

out in the rough tavern.

16:10

He was way too clean,

16:12

too well-dressed. Matthews saw Forbes

16:14

and sat down at his

16:16

table. His eye shifted to

16:19

the drunken soldiers in the

16:21

corner. Forbes told him not

16:23

to worry. The men were

16:25

far too interested in their

16:27

beer to notice the two

16:29

of them. Matthews handed Forbes

16:31

an envelope into the table.

16:33

It was his payment for

16:35

the gun sale. The gunsmith

16:38

counted the bills, but there

16:40

was more in it than

16:42

there should have been. He

16:44

looked up at Matthews, who

16:46

checked to make sure no

16:48

one was listening. In hush

16:50

tones, Matthews said he knew

16:52

that Forbes spent a lot

16:55

of time inside the city's

16:57

taverns, making friends over pints

16:59

of beer. He was good

17:01

at talking to people. Governor

17:03

William Tryon wanted to use

17:05

that skill to his advantage.

17:07

Matthews told Forbes to use

17:09

the extra money to bribe

17:12

continental soldiers who were willing

17:14

to help the loyalists. With

17:16

Forbes' help, they could turn

17:18

Washington's men into spies, right

17:20

under his nose. Forbes' eyes

17:22

lit up. He looked over

17:24

to the men drinking in

17:26

the corner. They seemed far

17:28

more interested in drinking than

17:31

fighting for a cause. They

17:33

were not rich men, yet

17:35

they were emptying their pockets

17:37

to buy the next round.

17:39

Forbes glanced down at the

17:41

bills in his hand. Then

17:43

he looked at Matthews. He

17:45

told him he didn't think

17:48

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17:50

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awaits. but he was struggling

19:37

to focus. He had a

19:39

daunting task in front of

19:41

him. The Continental Army needed

19:43

to build defenses around the

19:45

city. to protect against British

19:47

cannon fire, but it seemed

19:49

impossible to armor the whole

19:51

city, especially when it was

19:53

surrounded by water. Plus, Washington's

19:56

soldiers were easily distracted by

19:58

alcohol, gambling, and brothels. Suddenly,

20:00

one of Washington's lifeguards burst

20:02

into the room. He was

20:04

out of breath and holding

20:06

up a letter. Washington grabbed

20:08

it and ripped it open,

20:10

but when he read it,

20:12

his blood started a boil.

20:14

The letter reported news of

20:17

a loyalist plot. The personal

20:19

valet of a New York

20:21

congressman had been caught smuggling

20:23

information to Governor Tryon's ship

20:25

in the harbor. Washington put

20:27

the letter down and rubbed

20:29

his temples. The citizens of

20:31

New York had been banned

20:33

from communicating with the exiled

20:35

governor for the last three

20:38

months, but Tryon had evidently

20:40

still found a way to

20:42

get informants to come to

20:44

him. Washington was tired of

20:46

being a step behind trion.

20:48

With every plot the Continental

20:50

Army uncovered, it seemed two

20:52

more sprang up in its

20:54

place. Washington couldn't take direct

20:56

action against trion, since he

20:59

was protected in the harbor

21:01

by a British warship, and

21:03

the Americans didn't yet have

21:05

a navy. If he wanted

21:07

to stop the governor spying,

21:09

he needed to come up

21:11

with a plan. Washington took

21:13

a deep breath and dismissed

21:15

the officers. It was getting

21:17

late, and he needed to

21:20

think. As he walked up

21:22

to his office, an idea

21:24

started to form in his

21:26

mind. By candlelight, Washington wrote

21:28

a letter to the New

21:30

York provincial Congress, the colonists'

21:32

governing body of the city.

21:34

He had too much on

21:36

his plate to chase down

21:38

all the schemes of loyalists

21:41

in New York. He needed

21:43

a dedicated team of spy

21:45

catchers to foil to chase

21:47

down all the schemes of

21:49

loyalists in New York. He

21:51

needed a dedicated team of

21:53

spy catchers to foil the

21:55

British plans. As

22:00

Washington wrote his letter, the loyalist

22:02

gunsmith, Gilbert Forbes, was becoming very

22:05

friendly with two continental soldiers at

22:07

a tavern only a few blocks

22:09

away. One was an Irishman named

22:12

Thomas Hickey, the other an American

22:14

named William Green. As they clink

22:17

glasses on their second round of

22:19

drinks that evening, Green toasted the

22:21

health of King George. For a

22:24

moment, Forbes eyed him suspiciously. He

22:26

wasn't sure if the soldier was

22:28

testing him. But trusting his instincts,

22:31

he raised his glass and responded

22:33

to the king. A smile crept

22:36

onto Green's face, and Forbes knew

22:38

he was right. They were on

22:40

the same side. Forbes had suspected

22:43

both men represented a growing strain

22:45

of loyalist converts among the continental

22:47

troops. They were fed up with

22:50

serving the American cause. They didn't

22:52

get enough food. Their pay was

22:55

constantly delayed. and they slept in

22:57

cramped quarters, often with more than

22:59

20 soldiers in a single room.

23:02

But, as Forbes learned, the worst

23:04

of all these offenses was General

23:06

Washington himself. He didn't approve of

23:09

the soldiers drinking, so he had

23:11

banned the city from selling alcohol

23:14

to them. If they were caught

23:16

drunk in public, they would be

23:18

whipped or imprisoned. The men had

23:21

joined the army to fight for

23:23

independence, but if their new country

23:25

was already taking away their rights,

23:28

They may as well go back

23:30

to the British way of doing

23:33

things. At least the English were

23:35

tea totalers. Forbes told Hickey and

23:37

Green that he had a way

23:40

for them to get back at

23:42

the Continental Army and get paid.

23:44

If they helped a British they'd

23:47

earn ten shillings a week. Not

23:49

only that, but when the British

23:52

won the war, the men would

23:54

receive land as a reward for

23:56

their loyalty. The soldiers' eyes lit

23:59

up as they listened to Forbes

24:01

pitch pitch. Hickey leaned forward eagerly.

24:03

He was almost 50 years old

24:06

and had been in a soldier

24:08

his whole life. He whispered to

24:11

Forbes that he was tired of

24:13

being told what to do. He

24:15

liked the thought of settling down

24:18

into place of his own to

24:20

start a family after the war.

24:22

He could finally be his own

24:25

man. Forbes pulled a slip of

24:27

paper from his coat. It was

24:30

a list of soldiers who would

24:32

turn their backs on the continental

24:34

army. Hickey and Green eagerly added

24:37

their names to the list. Then

24:39

they wrote down their unit's name.

24:41

Both of them were lifeguards. to

24:44

General George Washington. A month later,

24:46

Thomas Hickey stood outside General Washington's

24:49

office. The New York summer heat

24:51

was sweltering, especially indoors. Hickey wanted

24:53

nothing more than to get out

24:56

of there. His mind wandered to

24:58

the fantasy he'd been obsessing over

25:00

for weeks, living on his own

25:03

land and setting his own schedule.

25:05

The thought of it never failed

25:08

to bring a smile to his

25:10

face. But he snapped out of

25:12

his daydream as he heard Washington's

25:15

voice through the wall. It wasn't

25:17

completely clear, but the General seemed

25:19

to be asking about Governor William

25:22

Tryon and his involvement in conspiracies.

25:24

Hickey leaned in closer. Then he

25:27

heard the voice of John Jay,

25:29

one of Washington's most trusted advisors.

25:31

Jay said there were rumors that

25:34

Tryon was bribing continental soldiers to

25:36

turn loyalists right under their noses.

25:38

Hickey felt his stomach cramp. They

25:41

might already know he had flipped.

25:43

As Hickey pressed his ear closer

25:46

to listen, he heard Washington and

25:48

his advisors close out the meeting.

25:50

Hickey backed away from the wall

25:53

and stood at attention just as

25:55

the door swung open. He prayed

25:57

that Washington wouldn't notice the nervous

26:00

look on his face. Hickey saluted

26:02

and Washington told him to be

26:05

at ease. The general introduced Hickey

26:07

to his advisors as a trusted

26:09

member of his lifeguard. Hickey nodded

26:12

dutifully. trying to remain calm. Then

26:14

Washington handed him an unsealed envelope

26:16

and asked him to deliver it

26:19

to one of his captains. Hickey

26:21

saluted once again and hurried off,

26:24

grateful to finally escape. When he

26:26

got far enough away, Hickey decided

26:28

to open the envelope and found

26:31

two pages inside. The first was

26:33

a warning about loyalist infiltration of

26:35

the army. The second was a

26:38

copy of Washington's schedule. Hickey couldn't

26:40

believe what he was reading. Previously,

26:42

Hickey had only agreed to spy

26:45

on the Continental Army and surrender

26:47

when the British invaded, but these

26:50

pages presented an entirely new opportunity,

26:52

one that could secure the British

26:54

victory before they even arrived. With

26:57

this, Hickey could inform Governor Tryon

26:59

exactly where General Washington would be.

27:01

They could kidnap Washington for the

27:04

British Army and interrogate him. or

27:06

even assassinate him if they thought

27:09

it necessary. Hickey felt the twinge

27:11

of guilt. He disagreed with many

27:13

of Washington's policies, but he still

27:16

respected him as a man. He

27:18

didn't like to think his actions

27:20

might get him killed. But Washington

27:23

couldn't offer what Tryon had. The

27:25

promise of money, land, and security

27:28

was too much to turn down.

27:30

If Washington's head was the price

27:32

of his independence, Hickey was willing

27:35

to pay it. He tucked the

27:37

letter into his coat as he

27:39

rushed out toward the harbor. He

27:42

needed to get the information to

27:44

Governor Tryon. On June 15th, 1776,

27:47

Isaac Ketchum poked at his dismal

27:49

jailhouse food. His ankles, which were

27:51

bound in leg irons, were developing

27:54

sores. He looked up at the

27:56

fading light coming through the barred

27:58

window at the top of his

28:01

cell. His stomach churned. With each

28:03

passing night he spent here, he

28:06

felt less hope of ever getting

28:08

out. Ketchum had been stuck in

28:10

the prison under city hall for

28:13

a month sharing a cell with

28:15

a rotating cast of loyalists and

28:17

petty thieves. He was in for

28:20

counterfeiting, even though he hadn't actually

28:22

committed the crime himself. He had

28:25

fallen in with some bad people

28:27

and agreed to help transport the

28:29

fake money they had made. But

28:32

he got caught. And now, as

28:34

a widower and father of six,

28:36

his children were left to fend

28:39

for themselves. He had sent several

28:41

appeal letters to the New York

28:44

provincial Congress pleading his innocence, but

28:46

had gotten no response. The authorities

28:48

didn't seem to care that he

28:51

had only agreed to the scheme

28:53

because he was in a desperate

28:55

situation. As he stood in his

28:58

misery, the cell door opened and

29:00

shook Ketchum out of his thoughts.

29:03

He watched the guards throw two

29:05

new prisoners into the cell. Ketchum

29:07

hurried to the door, asking if

29:10

there was any word about his

29:12

case. But the guards told him

29:14

they had no news. The iron

29:17

doors closed with an all too

29:19

familiar clang. The two prisoners began

29:22

cursing their new surroundings. Ketchum noticed

29:24

one had an Irish accent. Ketchum

29:26

listened as they complained about the

29:29

continental army and praised the king.

29:31

This would not have been unusual,

29:33

but then he overheard them say

29:36

that they were continental soldiers. Eager

29:38

to learn more, Ketchum interrupted them.

29:41

He said he couldn't help but

29:43

overhear their troubles. He wanted them

29:45

to know he was on their

29:48

side. Ketchum asked their names. The

29:50

Irishman looked him up and down

29:52

suspiciously, but his American companion seemed

29:55

eager to make friends. He introduced

29:57

himself as William Green. His friend

30:00

was named Thomas Hickey. Ketchum asked

30:02

how they ended up in prison.

30:04

Green said they'd been caught carrying

30:07

counterfeit money, even though they were

30:09

trusted guards of George Washington himself,

30:11

the continental army had still arrested

30:14

them. Ketchum explained he was in

30:16

for the same crime. He offered

30:19

his sympathies. He knew what it

30:21

was like to be in dire

30:23

straits. and for the Continental Army

30:26

to turn its back on its

30:28

own. The men nodded. Then Green

30:30

smiled and told Ketchum that he

30:33

didn't need to worry. They'd all

30:35

be free soon because the war

30:38

was going to end within a

30:40

month. Ketchum asked what he meant

30:42

by that. The two soldiers looked

30:45

at each other. They remained quiet

30:47

for a moment, but then the

30:49

Irishman Hickey spoke up. He explained

30:52

they were carrying out a plot

30:54

against George Washington. One... he would

30:57

never see coming. Ketchum's pulse quickened.

30:59

An idea suddenly popped into his

31:01

head. It would be a long

31:04

shot, but Ketchum might just have

31:06

found his way out of jail.

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wondering. Two

31:55

days later on June 17th

31:57

1776 I Isaac Ketchum, fidgeted

31:59

with the chains around his wrists.

32:02

He was sitting outside the council

32:04

chamber at City Hall. It was

32:07

the first time he'd been

32:09

above ground in over a

32:11

month. He tried to savor

32:13

the fresh air as long

32:15

as he could. He had written

32:17

to the New York provincial Congress

32:19

that he had urgent information

32:21

about a loyalist plot. His

32:23

freedom now rested on them

32:25

believing him. If they didn't,

32:27

they'd sent him right back to

32:30

rot in the prison. The

32:32

thought of never seeing his

32:34

children again made his heart

32:36

ache. The door to the

32:38

council chamber swung open. A man

32:40

in a coat and breeches

32:42

walked out. He introduced himself

32:44

as John Jay. He asked

32:46

Ketchum to come inside. Ketchum

32:48

shuffled in as quickly as his

32:51

leg irons would allow. Inside

32:53

he saw the rest of

32:55

the provincial Congress waiting. Twenty-five

32:57

men in powdered wigs. Jay

32:59

asked Ketchum to give his information.

33:01

Ketchum explained that his two cellmates

33:04

were continental soldiers who were

33:06

secretly working with the British.

33:08

They reported to a man

33:10

named Forbes, who then communicated

33:12

with someone on a British ship

33:14

in the harbor. Ketchum said

33:16

the soldiers told him all

33:18

about a British plan to

33:20

destroy the main bridge out

33:22

of Manhattan, called the King's Bridge.

33:24

They were also scheming to

33:26

arm loyalist civilians, before the

33:29

arrival of the British fleet.

33:31

The color drained from John

33:33

Jay's face, as Ketchum spoke. He

33:35

leaned forward and asked if

33:37

Ketchum had anything else. Ketchum

33:39

took a deep breath. If

33:41

anything was going to earn

33:43

him his freedom, it was this.

33:45

He said that the men had

33:48

told him they were part

33:50

of Washington's lifeguard's unit, but

33:52

they weren't there to protect

33:54

him. They were going to

33:56

abduct him and turn him over

33:58

to the enemy. Ketchum watched

34:00

as the congressman broke into

34:02

worried conversation. All he could

34:04

do was pray that they'd

34:06

let him go free for the

34:09

information he had brought them.

34:11

Eventually, John Jay turned back

34:13

to Ketchum. He thanked him

34:15

for the information. Then he

34:17

cleared his throat and told Ketchum

34:19

that he was going to

34:21

be returned to jail. Ketchum's

34:23

heart sank. All hope of

34:25

going home to his children

34:27

was suddenly lost. But Jay wasn't

34:30

finished. He said he was sending

34:32

Ketchum back in jail to

34:34

be a spy. He needed

34:36

to find out more from

34:38

the soldiers in his cell.

34:40

If his information was good, he

34:42

would be freed. Ketchum felt

34:44

a wave of relief. He

34:46

could be a spy for

34:48

a few more days if

34:50

it meant getting out of that

34:53

jail cell for good. A

34:55

week later, on June 23rd,

34:57

1776, John Jay watched as

34:59

the loyalist gunsmith Gilbert Forbes

35:01

walked into the chamber at City

35:03

Hall. His hands and ankles

35:05

were in chains. Jay felt

35:07

a strange mix of fear

35:09

and excitement bubbling in his

35:11

stomach. Congress had recently chosen him

35:14

and two other men to form

35:16

the Committee on conspiracies. Their

35:18

mission was to report to

35:20

General Washington on counter-espionage, and

35:22

they were close to uncovering

35:24

the secret plot against him. Things

35:27

had moved quickly since Isaac

35:29

Ketchum's testimony. The committee knew

35:31

they needed to go after

35:33

the loyalists bribing continental soldiers

35:35

to flip sides. Since Trion was

35:37

still untouchable on his ship

35:39

in the harbor, Jay and

35:41

the committee settled for the

35:43

next best thing, arresting New

35:45

York's loyalist mayor, David Matthews. Matthews

35:47

had been doing Trion's bidding

35:49

for too long, and Jay

35:51

had finally had enough. On

35:53

Washington's orders, they raided Matthews'

35:55

estate in the middle of the

35:58

night. Matthews was awoken to the

36:00

sounds of continental soldiers tearing

36:02

his home apart. He was

36:04

dragged out of his house,

36:06

bleary-eyed, and still in his

36:08

nightshirt. When Jay interrogated Matthews, the

36:11

mayor swore he knew nothing.

36:13

about the plot against Washington.

36:15

He said the most he

36:17

had done was pass money

36:19

between Governor Tryon and a gunsmith

36:21

named Gilbert Forbes. Jay didn't

36:23

believe Matthews, but he was

36:25

happy to have a new

36:27

suspect. He was sure that

36:29

Forbes was the same gunmaker that

36:32

Isaac Ketchum's cellmates had been

36:34

working with. After the raid

36:36

on Matthews' home, continental soldiers

36:38

arrested Forbes at a tavern.

36:40

When he was brought in, Forbes

36:42

refused to give up any names.

36:44

But Jay needed Forbes to

36:46

talk if they wanted to

36:48

figure out who else was

36:50

involved in the plan. So

36:52

Jay decided it was time for

36:55

drastic action. At Jay's behest,

36:57

a minister came to the

36:59

jail and told the gunsmith

37:01

that he was going to

37:03

be executed for treason unless he

37:05

gave up information. Forbes was

37:07

horrified. He knew he would

37:09

be punished for his crimes.

37:11

He thought he might get

37:13

jail time. But executed? In the

37:16

end, fear got the best

37:18

of him. and he started

37:20

talking. In the chamber at

37:22

City Hall, Jay and his

37:24

fellow committee members took turns interrogating

37:26

Forbes. Over the course of two

37:29

hours, Forbes revealed the whole

37:31

plot, the sale of the

37:33

guns, Mayor Matthews bringing him

37:35

the money, and his recruitment

37:37

of the soldiers. Best of all,

37:39

Forbes turned over his list

37:41

of names. Almost a dozen

37:43

were Washington's lifeguards. Even the

37:45

general's housekeeper was in on

37:47

the plot. Jay was horrified at

37:50

how deeply Tryon had infiltrated

37:52

Washington's inner circle, but now

37:54

he knew the identity of

37:56

everyone involved in the scheme.

37:58

Washington's trusted advisor left his fellow

38:00

committee members to deal with

38:02

Forbes. He needed to warn

38:04

the commander-in-chief. George Washington was

38:06

in his office, poring over

38:08

a map of the city when

38:10

John Jay burst in. He handed

38:13

Washington a piece of paper.

38:15

Washington took it. It was

38:17

a list of names. He

38:19

recognized many of them. He

38:21

knew what this meant. His soldiers,

38:23

his lifeguards, had betrayed him.

38:25

Washington slumped down at his

38:27

desk. His army was coming

38:29

apart at the seams, right

38:31

when they needed to band together.

38:34

He sat motionless, trying to

38:36

decide what to do next.

38:38

Finally, Washington spoke. He thanked

38:40

Jay for a job well

38:42

done. The committee on conspiracies had

38:44

uncovered the plot before the British

38:47

could act on it. They

38:49

had almost certainly saved his

38:51

life. Still, he didn't want

38:53

anyone to know what the

38:55

committee had found. If they were

38:57

to go after every person

38:59

involved in the scheme, it

39:01

would expose far too many

39:03

cracks. The morale of the

39:05

continental army might be ruined beyond

39:07

repair. The British army was

39:09

arriving in only a few

39:11

days. He couldn't risk it.

39:13

Jay seemed frustrated by the

39:15

general's response. but nodded respectfully. He

39:18

reminded Washington that someone needed

39:20

to be punished for betraying

39:22

the revolution. They couldn't just

39:24

let the criminals go. They

39:26

needed to send a message to

39:28

other potential traders. Washington knew Jay

39:31

was right. He asked who

39:33

they had the most evidence

39:35

against. Jay said their best

39:37

case was against Thomas Hickey.

39:39

Washington hung his head sadly. Hickey

39:41

had been one of his

39:43

closest bodyguards. He had spent

39:45

countless hours with him and

39:47

liked the man. His betrayal

39:49

hurt deeply. But Washington knew he

39:52

didn't have a choice. He

39:54

gave Jay the order. Thomas

39:56

Hickey had to die. On

39:58

June 28th, 1776, Thomas Hickey

40:00

marched slowly to the gallows. It

40:02

took all of his strength

40:04

to hold up his head.

40:06

The last few days had

40:08

felt like a bad dream.

40:10

Even when he was dragged in

40:12

front of a court martial and

40:15

asked to defend himself, Hickey

40:17

didn't believe he was actually

40:19

going to be hanged, but

40:21

now the noose was dangling

40:23

right in front of him. Hickey

40:25

climbed the stairs up to

40:27

the gallows. By now his

40:29

heart was in his throat.

40:31

He looked over at the

40:33

crowd assembling to watch him hang.

40:36

Tens of thousands of people.

40:38

He spotted George Washington sitting

40:40

atop a gray horse at

40:42

the front of the crowd.

40:44

The general stared at him, stone-faced.

40:46

Hickey remembered the warmth and

40:48

trust he was used to

40:50

seeing on the General's face.

40:52

Washington's other lifeguards surrounded him.

40:54

Hickey knew more than a few

40:57

of them had turned against Washington

40:59

too, but here they were,

41:01

standing at attention, as that

41:03

they'd never even considered betraying

41:05

him. He looked at each

41:07

of them, but most avoided his

41:09

gaze. Hickey knew he was

41:11

being made an example of,

41:13

and that William Green and

41:16

the other lifeguards were being

41:18

spared. He wondered if he had

41:20

been chosen as the scapegoat

41:22

because he was Irish-born, or

41:24

if he was just unlucky.

41:26

As he awaited his fate,

41:28

an officer read out Hickey's offenses.

41:30

Hickey nearly winced when he

41:32

heard the officer say the

41:34

word treason. Treason. Tears welled

41:36

up in his eyes. For

41:38

a moment, he pictured the life

41:41

Gilbert Forbes had promised him. Money,

41:43

land, freedom. Hickey had wanted

41:45

it all so badly. But

41:47

in the end, was it

41:49

all worth dying for? Thomas

41:51

Hickey was hanged the same day

41:54

Thomas Jefferson presented the Declaration

41:56

of Independence to the Continental

41:58

Congress. If the loyalist plot

42:00

to abduct or assassinate Washington

42:02

had succeeded, the American army likely

42:04

would have collapsed. George Washington

42:06

would never have become the

42:08

beloved father of a country.

42:10

he'd be just another failed

42:12

revolutionary. The efforts of the Committee

42:15

on conspiracies saved his life

42:17

and gave the American revolutionary...

42:19

a fighting chance at success.

42:21

Two weeks after Hickey's execution,

42:23

Washington gathered his troops in a

42:25

field north of the city and

42:27

read the Declaration of Independence

42:29

aloud. He made clear that

42:31

the Continental Army was not

42:33

just fighting for political power.

42:35

They were there to form a

42:38

new nation, free of British

42:40

rule. Discovering the British plot

42:42

encouraged Washington to embrace spycraft

42:44

even more as the war

42:46

went on. The Committee on conspiracies

42:48

led by John Jay continued

42:50

to sniff out British spies

42:52

for the rest of the

42:54

war. By 1778, Washington had

42:56

created an entire spy network, known

42:59

as the Culper Ring, to

43:01

gather information about British activity.

43:03

They used coded messages and

43:05

invisible ink to smuggle intelligence.

43:07

These are methods still used today.

43:09

In many ways, the plot to

43:12

assassinate George Washington. resulted in

43:14

the birth of American espionage.

43:16

If you're looking to dive

43:18

into more gripping stories from

43:20

Ballin Studios and Wundery, you can

43:22

also listen to my other

43:24

podcast, Wartime Stories, early and

43:26

ad-free with Wundery Plus. Start

43:28

your free trial in the

43:30

Wundery app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify

43:32

Today. Before you go, tell

43:34

us about yourself by completing

43:36

a short survey at wondery.com/certainty

43:38

classified mysteries hosted by me,

43:40

Luke Lamana. A quick note about

43:43

our stories. We do a

43:45

lot of research, but some

43:47

details and scenes are dramatized.

43:49

We used many different sources

43:51

for our show, but we especially

43:53

recommend the first conspiracy, the secret

43:56

plot to kill George Washington,

43:58

by Brad Meltzer and Josh

44:00

Mench. Also, plotting the... of

44:02

George Washington by Gary Shattuck

44:04

in the Journal of the American

44:06

Revolution. This episode was written

44:08

by Jake Natureman, sound designed

44:10

by Andre Plues. Our producers

44:12

are Christopher B. Dunn and

44:14

John Reed. Our associate producers are

44:17

Enes Rennie Kay and Molly

44:19

Quinlan Artwick. Fact checking by

44:21

Sheila Patterson. For Ballin Studios,

44:23

our head of production is

44:25

Zach Levitt. Script editing by Scott

44:27

Allen. Our coordinating producer is

44:29

Samantha Collins. Production support by

44:31

Avery Siegel. Produced by me,

44:33

Luke Lamana. Executive producers are

44:35

Mr. Ballin and Nick Whitters. For

44:37

Wonder, our senior producers are Laura

44:40

Donna Pelavota, Dave Shilling, and

44:42

Rachel Engelman. Senior managing producer

44:44

is Olivia Fonte. Executive producers

44:46

are Aarono Flarity and Marshall

44:48

Louie for Wonderie. What's

44:55

up guys? It's your girl Kiki and my

44:57

podcast is back with a new season and

45:00

let me tell you it's too good And

45:02

I'm diving into the brains of entertainments best

45:04

and brightest okay every episode I bring on

45:06

a friend and have a real conversation And

45:09

I mean just friends. I mean the likes

45:11

of Amy polar Kel Mitchell Vivica Fox the

45:13

list goes on and now I have my

45:15

own YouTube channel So follow, watch and listen

45:18

to Baby, this is Kiki Palmer on the

45:20

Wondery Act. Or wherever you get your podcast,

45:22

watch full episodes on YouTube and you can

45:24

listen to Baby, this is Kiki Palmer early

45:27

and at free right now by joining Wonder,

45:29

where are my headphones? Because it's time to

45:31

get into it. I'll let you girl.